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Communicate with your elected representatives as often as you desire. The more often they hear from law-abiding firearm owners, the better. Always include your own M.P. in your communication, regardless of political affiliation. Find your M.P. here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members

It’s easy to use these talking points in your communications with Parliament, the media and friends.

Pick one or two points and base your letter or phone call upon them.

Simple is always best. Express one point well, then repeat in your next letter. Ten individual emails, each addressing a specific problem with this legislation, is better than one letter addressing ten points at once.

While this legislation is riddled with problems, clarity is essential. Keep to one or two points, at most, then write another letter.

Whose opinion(s) will form the basis for an investigation and by what legislative authority?

What is the criteria the evaluations are based on?

Why is there no appeal process?

What is the start-up cost and annual operating cost for this system?

How did the existing background check system fail? In other words, what is the evidence proving the existing 5-year background check fails its public safety goal?

Licence Verification

Businesses are forced to keep a record associating an individual person to an individual firearm. How is this not a gun registry?

Are all Licence Verifications entered into a database to track individual firearm owner activity?

Who keeps this Licence Verification activity data, for what purpose, and how long will it be retained?

Is Licence Verification data attached to an individual's licence? If so, who can access it?

What is the criteria for the Licenve Verification to be approved or denied?

What is the start-up cost and annual operating cost for the License Verification system?

Authorizations to Transport

Why was “Transport to/from a Gunsmith eliminated?” Was there any public safety issue and, if so, what was it?

Why was “Transport to/from a gun store for Appraisal or Sale” eliminated? Was there any public safety issue and, if so, what was it?

Why was “Transport to/from a Gun Show eliminated?” Was there any public safety issue and, if so, what was it?

Why was “Transport to/from a Border Point eliminated?” Was there any public safety issue and, if so, what was it?

What is the government’s estimate of the annual cost to perform these mundane functions individually?

Will the four previous ATTs be issued on paper? If not, how will an individual prove they have an ATT for the purpose stated?

Was there a cost/benefit analysis completed? If so, what conclusion did it make?

Section 12(9)

Can any type of firearm be added to Section 12(9)?

Who will make the decision to add firearms to Section 12(9) and under what legislative authority?

What criteria are used to include a firearm in Section 12(9)?

What new legislative authority grants the RCMP the power to prohibit or restrict firearms?

Will there be a communique sent to all firearms owners every time a firearm is classified as Prohibited under 12(9)? Or will the RCMP continue to secretly add firearms to the Firearms Reference Table (FRT) without informing the owners of this classification change?

Why are firearm owners not informed of firearm classification changes under the current system?

Why are licensed firearms owners not permitted access to the FRT to determine if legally-acquired firearms were re-classified as Prohibited Firearms, inadvertently turning them into criminals?

Is there an appeal process to 12(9) and if not, why not?

Swiss Arms Classic series and CZ-858s will be made 12(9) Prohibited.

Previously, the RCMP classified CZ-858s as Section 12(3) Prohibited. Does their inclusion in Section 12(9) mean the RCMP made another mistake in classification?

Will an information bulletin be issued to police describing the difference between prohibited CZ-858s and other very similar firearms?

Is there an appeal process to 12(9) and if not, why not?

The powers of the Governing Council to declare a firearm to be Non-Restricted has been revoked.

Why, after the RCMP’s repeated history of incorrect firearm classification, has the power of our elected officials to correct mistakes made by the un-elected and un-accountable RCMP been removed?

Does the government plan another method to correct RCMP mistakes? If so, what is that method?

What is the rationale for elected Members of Parliament to abdicate the powers delegated to it by the electorate to make laws?

What must the current or future government do to rectify an incorrect firearm classification

Bill C-71 has been introduced and the CSSA was there. Here is a quick run down of the provisions of this bill.

1. Background checks for criminal violence and any mental illness will be conducted over the life of the individual, not the previous five year period.

2. Both business and private sales of all firearms are subject to computerized license verification. Non-Restricted firearms transfers will not have the information regarding the firearm recorded.

3. Business are required to keep records which will include the individual's information and all information regarding the firearm(s) transferred. The business must keep the records for 20 years unless the business ceases to be a business. In that case all records must be surrendered to the authorities.

4. Authorizations to Transport have been gutted. The only permitted uses are to shooting ranges and Purchase-to-Home, but will still include "all ranges in province". All currently held ATTs will be revoked upon passage of Bill 71.

5. All of the Swiss Arms Classic series and all CZ-858s will be made 12(9) Prohibited. The owners of these rifles will be Grandfathered. Grandfathered individuals will be able to acquire other 12(9) firearms. Grandfathered owners will be permitted to transport these firearms to a range for the purposes of target shooting.

6. The powers of the Governing Council to declare any firearm to be Non-Restricted has been revoked. The Governing Council may still be used to declare any firearms to be restricted or prohibited.

7. UN Firearms Marking will be issued in a Technical amendment.

More to come - Stay tuned.

SPECIAL REPORT - Bill C-71

Another Liberal Betrayal of Canadians

Bill C-71 has been introduced and the CSSA was there. We have had a chance to run through many of the provisions of this bill and the bill contains more pitfalls than initial examination makes apparent.

Firstly, this is not a good bill for Canada's firearms owners. In fact, it stinks. Many of the provisions turn the future of firearms ownership from uphill to downhill. This bill is insidious, enabling traps and entanglements for future users.

The following are some of our observations. They are by no means complete. Items will also be added as the tangles unravel.

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* Background checks for criminal violence and any mental illness will be conducted over the life of the individual, not the previous five year period.

Most firearms owners are supportive of some form of mental health screening but the potential for abuse in this section may outweigh any benefits. Firstly, provisions that go back through the persons lifetime might be difficult for some of our honoured veterans, police officers and other emergency responders. The very nature of the work these heroes do entails exposure to terrible things that sometimes leave their mark. A firefighter suffering through the emotional trauma of a deceased family, a gruesome vehicle accident attended by police of the horrors of a soldier's combat experience may lead to times when one of these people may need the attentions of a health care professional. Others can experience bad things too and need help to deal with them.

And then, the system springs into action to deny these people the opportunity to recreate with a firearms, to perhaps eliminate the cathartic healing of a day on a grouse hunt or spent in the deer woods. Worse, there is simply no evidence that this extended check has any positive benefit If it does, we await the evidence.

* Both business and private sales of all firearms are subject to computerized license verification. Non-Restricted firearms transfers will not have the information regarding the firearm recorded.

Is this a gun registry? No. It is a registry of active gun owners though. Of course, this presumes that all the verification and confirmations codes are recorded (and tracked?) Amazing quantities of data can be presumed through the recording of such data and of course, our trust in the system to perform the function benevolently is exactly ZERO. Since the massive debacle of the Chretien government the confidence of Canada's firearms community in the Liberal party and the RCMP drones is minimal at best.

* Business are required to perform licence verification and keep records which will include the individual's information and all information regarding the firearm(s) transferred. The business must keep the records for twenty years unless the business ceases to be a business. In that case all records must be surrendered to the authorities.

For the business end of this, this is a gun registry, pure and simple. It isn't a very good one but, anytime you force people to fill out a document that attaches a individual firearm to an individual person, that is a gun registry – and it includes long guns. Dealers must keep the records of the transaction for twenty years and if the business should go out of business, all records must be surrendered to the authorities. The Liberals state the information belongs to the dealer but the truth seems to be that the dealer is merely entrusted with its care-taking.

* Authorizations to Transport have been gutted. The only permitted uses are to shooting ranges and Purchase-to-Home, but will still include "all ranges in province". All currently held ATTs will be revoked upon passage of Bill 71.

Why? Why? Why? When bill C-42 became law, ATTs became valid for six common functions. Four of these have been eliminated despite the absence of any problems. Let's look at these six. 1. Still allowed: Transportation to any section 29 range in your province of residence, 24/7. This the longest ranging one of the six. It means an individual can drive from Cornwall to Kenora - 22 hours non-stop - to shoot a match and drive home, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants, stopping for bio-breaks. 2. Still allowed: Bringing a firearms from the place of purchase (or post office) to your home. Truth is, this solves a way bigger problem for them than it solves for us. The authorities take a dim view of you unboxing a pistol at the post office so you can confirm the serial number matches your ATT before driving it home. 3. FORBIDDEN: Transportation to/from a gunsmith. This is despite the fact that the gunsmith must sign it in and out of their business inventory. This is not small. Un-maintained guns can be dangerous but it seems the government only cares about the safety of some Canadians 4. FORBIDDEN: Transportation to/from a gun store for the purposes of appraisal or sale..Same deal, entry into the business inventory is undertaken by the business when in for sale or consignment 5. FORBIDDEN: Transportation to/from a border point. You better have your American documents and your Canadian documents or you are in for the worst two days of your life. 6. FORBIDDEN: Transportation to/from a gun show.Many gun show vendors attend a different show almost every weekend. It's bad enough when the CFO offices are so dysfunctional that they can't issue an ATT over a provincial border but, you can to any shooting range in your province but not a gun show around the corner to display your firearms.

There is simply no excuse for these foolish restrictions except the pure contempt of the Liberal government and the firearms control bureaucracy towards Canada's firearms owners.

* All of the Swiss Arms Classic series and CZ-858s will be made 12(9) Prohibited. The owners of these rifles will be Grandfathered. Grandfathered individuals will be able to acquire other 12(9) firearms. Grandfathered owners will be permitted to transport these firearms to a range for the purposes of target shooting (with the CFOs permission.)

Can you say Gun Bans? Well in fact, it is much worse than this. It sets the stage for many future gun bans. The creation of Section 12(9) is the creation of the federal firearms incinerator. You see 12(9) is different, unlike most of the other gun ban systems. In fact, it is most like Section 12(6.) Are you confused by all the Section 12 jargon. Let us make it simple. Section 12(2) – Full Autos. Section 12(3) – Full autos converted to Semi-autos. 12(4) Firearms contained in Prohibited Weapons Order 12. Section 12(5) – Firearms contained in Prohibited Weapons Order 13. 12(6) – Handguns with barrels of 105 mm or less, .25 and .32 calibre. 12(7) – 12(6) handguns manufactured before 1946 and registered as family heirlooms. 12(8) – The regulations governing these prohibited firearms. 12(9) – CZ-858s and Swiss Arms Classic series rifles... FOR NOW!

What 12(9) really is about, is a wide open gun ban window. Any firearm, rifle, pistol, shotgun, BB gun, can be tossed into the black hole of 12(9) at the Order-in-Council whim of the feds, whenever they choose. The ban is semi-deferred and owners will still get to shoot their guns, for now, and at the discretion of the Chief Firearms Office. It is slow boiling of the frog and the perfect vehicle to effect massive firearms bans, of any gun they choose, at any point in time that suits their agenda.

* The powers of the Governing Council to declare any firearm to be Non-Restricted has been revoked.

And if you thought the last point was bad, check this one out. The Trudeau government wants to make the RCMP the ultimate arbiter of all things good and just. They are removing the only brake the RCMP has on their ultimate authority to ban the lawfully owned property of Canadians. The ability of the ELECTED government of Canada to reverse the stupid decisions that have routinely emanated from the incompetence of the RCMP firearms lab.

Let's look at the two affected guns, the CZ-858 and the Swiss Arms Classics. The RCMP gave these very firearms a non-restricted rating. A decade later, after thousands had been sold, the RCMP says, “Whoopsie, we were wrong – they're prohibs – turn them in.” Minister Steven Blaney says, “You can't do that to people” and puts the power in place to reverse a stupid, politically motivated decision. Now, in a move destined to be one of the stupidest decisions this Liberal government has made yet (and that says a mouthful) the power to correct the mistakes of the RCMP has been repealed.

Un-elected – All-powerful – Un-accountable.

That's Canada's new RCMP Firearms Program

There's still more to come in this bill. The UN Firearms Marking System is still to come in the form of a Technical Amendment. We are not hopeful for a successful outcome. Let's be blunt, after Bill C-71 the Liberals have shown that their spots have not changed. They continue to hate us and along with their dishonest partners, the majority of Canada's mainstream media, will continue their unprovoked attacks against 2.1 million lawful, trustworthy, licensed Canadians.

After all this, this legislation ONLY affects lawful gun owners! Surprised?

Canada's government is clearly uninterested in finding innovative solutions to gun violence

If the Liberals take on guns (again), the Tories will benefit

Provincial government taking action to increase access to hunting

Trudeau Thinks Voters Want Tougher Gun Laws in Canada

Controversial 'conservative-minded' coffee company sets up shop in St. Albert

﻿Submission to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Bill C-71

– Commentary –

Township of Baldwin Mayor Leads By Example

on Bill C-71

﻿It’s a wonderful thing to watch the inspiration of an individual morph into a plan of action. It’s even better when the plan of action bears fruit.

Huge kudos to long-standing CSSA member, Texas MacDonald. Texas, the president of the Espanola Handgun Club, had a bright-light moment.

On April 9, 2018, that light came in the form of a unique motion from Mayor Vern Gortham at a meeting of the Township of Baldwin Council Meeting held in McKerrow, Ontario.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The Township of Baldwin send the attached explanatory letter to all Municipalities in Ontario for their support via email as well as by Canada Post to all MPs and Senators that represent our Province of Ontario. We don’t need bill C-71 and it should be quashed without further ado.

The motion passed unanimously.

Letters were sent to all 121 MPs and 24 Senators who represent Ontario the next day.

From the mayor’s explanatory letter referred to above:

“In our absence from being able to speak in person on this matter of Bill C-71, I request that our esteemed colleagues from the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA) be allowed to speak on our behalf. These folks are well-versed in the existing firearms legislation and licensing requirements in Canada and can easily explain to non-firearms owners current legislation already in place and the rigorous criteria needed to obtain a Firearms License or PAL that is required before any person can purchase any firearm or any ammunition.

We have listened to both sides of the debate concerning bill C-71 and have also done extensive reading on the matter, reviewed the flawed statistics charts that single out the lowest year of crime in 40 years and use it as a base point for increase or decrease.”

The letter ends with this common-sense plea.

“I'm asking that you make a wise move and cancel Bill C-71 and simply enforce the legislation that is in place.”

Social media response to the story was positive and, along with the usual hashtags opposing Bill C-71, two new ones sprouted up: #ThisIsLeadership and #MovingToBaldwin.

We called the mayor’s office and, although we didn’t speak to the mayor personally, the town’s clerk, Karin Bates, said she’s received a lot of phone calls of support in response to the motion. She asked anyone wishing to support her mayor and council to do so by writing a letter so she could present it to them at their next meeting.

We believe it is important to support good people with great ideas. If you believe the same, send an email to karin@baldwin.caand thank Mayor Gorham for his leadership on this issue and for setting such a good example for others.

After you thank the mayor for his leadership and defence of law-abiding firearm owners, make sure your own council supports this motion and its explanatory letter.

Find out when your next town or city council meets.

Print a copy of Mayor Gorham’s letter and attend the next meeting.

Show them the letter and ask your municipal leaders to support the Baldwin Resolution.

Tell them you’ll volunteer to address the envelopes, if necessary, and let us know when your town follows the lead of the Township of Baldwin and opposes Bill C-71, The Firearm Owners Harassment Act. We would like to phone and thank them for taking a stand against a bad law, too.

And please don’t forget to give a little shout-out to our own Texas MacDonald. Texas has been fighting for our rights for a very long time, and this project was genuinely inspirational.

Texas, the CSSA and all our members appreciate your effort!

PS: As of this writing, 24 municipalities have responded to the resolution and have indicated their support!